Failed Russia-Ukraine-EU gas talks last week raise the specter of a cold, dark winter in Ukraine; the Islamic State's oil-fueled spread is bolstering similar aspirations among Boko Haram in Nigeria; President Obama looks to sidestep Congress in global climate change efforts. Catch up on the week in global energy with Recharge.

David W Cerny/Reuters

Valves and pipelines are seen at a gas compressor station on the Slovakia-Ukraine border in Velke Kapusany Tuesday. Ukraine has threatened to block transit of Russian gas, and continued regional violence complicate a longterm solution to the Ukraine-Russia gas crisis.

In the pipeline

Tuesday, Sept. 2 to Friday, Sept. 5: TALLINN, ESTONIA and NEWPORT, WALES – President Obama meets with Baltic leaders before heading to the NATO summit in Wales. Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania get all their natural gas from Russia, so pressure will be on Obama to expand US LNG export capacity as a gesture of support for US allies.

Wednesday, Sept. 3 to Thursday, Sept. 4: NAIROBI, KENYA – The East African Power Industry Convention convenes officials from a region aiming to generate eight times more power in the next 25 years. Kenya and Mozambique in particular have drawn attention recently, both for oil and gas development, and abundant renewable potential.

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Drill deeper

Scottish independence: Debate over North Sea oil reserves [BBC]On Sept. 18, Scotland will vote on independence from the UK, with energy playing a key role in the debate. North Sea oil reserves would help fund an independent Scotland – but supplies have already dwindled, and the region's oil and gas faces an uncertain future in years to come.

Losing Ground [ProPublica and The Lens]Every 48 minutes, a piece of Louisiana the size of a football field slips underwater. Oil and gas drilling and dredging contributes to the cause, and is dangerously exposed to the effects – the region is home to half of the country’s oil refineries, and pipelines that serve 90 percent of the nation’s offshore energy production.

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Energy sources

IEA: "[P]olicy and market risks [are] ... raising concerns over how fast renewables can scale up to meet long-term deployment objectives. Just when renewables are becoming a cost-competitive option in an increasing number of cases, policy uncertainty is rising in some key OECD markets."

EIA: "... Mexico's production could stabilize at 2.9 MMbbl/d through 2020 and then rise to 3.7 MMbbl/d by 2040—about 75% higher than in last year's outlook."

US District Judge Gray Miller via WSJ: "Kurdistan's unauthorized export of oil over land—and later overseas—may violate Iraqi law, but it doesn't violate U.S. maritime law."